EIGHTH ANNUAL BRAS D’OR WATCH

ACAP Cape Breton and the Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Region Association (BLBRA) invite the public to the eighth annual Bras d’Or Watch Field Day as part of Explore the Bras d’Or! This outdoor citizen science event teaches participants about the plants and animals of our beloved Bras d’Or Lake (or Pitu’paq, which is how the lake is referred to in Mi’kmaq). This year’s event takes place on July 23^rd and runs from 11 am-3 pm (rain date is July 24). There will be four sites around the lake for you to choose from: Castle Bay Beach in Eskasoni, Grand Narrows Wharf, St. Peter’s Marina, and the Whycocomagh Picnic Park.

Bras d’Or Watch Field Day is fun for all ages and a chance to be a scientist for a day! Each site has a team of educators and biologists to help you identify organisms and answer questions about what you find. This is your chance to play with equipment and learn to identify the diversity around us. You may see a northern pipefish in its natural habitat, and with our underwater viewers, you can watch green crabs and jellyfish meander by, right in the Bras d’Or Lake! The four sites will display specimens of local animals and plants with microscopes to observe the finer details of the ecosystem. Not only do participants learn about the ecology of the local sites, but their observations will help track the diversity, abundance, and species at risk within the biosphere. Eileen Crosby, Past Chair of the BLBRA, states, “one of the most powerful tools that we have in understanding climate change and its effects on nature is by repeated simple observations in specific places at specific times of the year. Much has been learned through simple observations and record keeping.”

If you cannot make it out to the Field Day, the fun continues online with a bioblitz using the iNaturalist app! From July 22^nd-August 7^th, upload your observations of any species from the Bras d’Or Lake watershed to add to the project. Search the iNaturalist app for “Bras d’Or Watch 2022” to join.

For folks seeking more information about this fantastic event, find the Bras d’Or Watch page on Facebook and Instagram (@BrasdOrWatch) or connect with ACAP Cape Breton on Facebook and Instagram (@ACAPCapeBreton), or call (902) 567-1628 for more details.